There is some truth in the belief that eating a lot of carrots will improve the eyesight as they contain medicinal salts (although the story of WW2 British RAF pilots being fed on a special diet of carrots is false but typical of the claims made of this vegetable). Eating large quantities of boiled carrots was thought to help asthmatics (by relieving constriction of the bronchial tubes). Also thought to be an aphrodisiac.